Three-dimensional display device



Oct. 25, 1949. H. H. HUTT 2,485,830

THREE-DIMENS IONAL DI SPLAY DEVI CE Filed May 1, 1946 INVENTOR HER/VHN/7f Mu 7'T ATTORNE? Patented Oct. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES OFFICE".

THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY DEVICE Herman H, Hutt, Brooklyn, Ni Y.

Application May 1, 1946," Serial "No: 6661329 7 Claims.

This invention relates to devices generally classified as displays. Moreparticularly, the invention deals with a device of this kind havingmeansiwhereby a three dimension effect is produced, particularly incasting a shadow on a printed or lithographed representation disposedupon a transparent or translucent sheet onto a backing wall in givingtheappearance of depthor three dimensions in such printed or litho graphedrepresentations. Still more particularly; the invention includes meansfor supporting articles on, or in connection with the display andforrendering part of-the rear-Wall'portion of a transparent or'translucentdisplay sheet or sleeve: visible at the front of the device. Thenovelfeature of the invention will be best understood from the followingdescription when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in whichcertain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which theseparate parts are designated 'by suitable reference 'charactersin eachof the views; and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a display made according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is asection on'the line 22-of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33'of Fig. 1.

Fig; 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of one part of the display detachedand on a reduced scale; and

Fig. 5isan edge view of 'a sheet orstrip from which the-device of 'Fig.4 is formed;

Considering Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, Ih-ave shown at It), the supportingframe of the display device which; in the construction shown,- comprisestwo substantially similar'sheets Hl I of heavy pa per, cardboard,plastic or other material, the sheets being folded, as seen at l2-I2-'to form front and back base or supporting plates |3-I'3' andperpendicular wall portions-=l4-l4', the lat--- ter being securedtogether in any desired man'- ner to provide a two'wall thickness. Outeror exposed surfaces of the walls l4-I4 may be lithographed, printed orotherwise characterized to give a suitable background scenicappearanceto the resulting display. In some instances, the outer surface of thefront wall I 4 only will be characterized, particularly when the displayis-to have a one vision showing, asfor example, in-a window display.However; in counter displays,

both sides of the resulting device maybe con-'- sidered as displaysideaAt l5- is shown a tube or sleeve of transparent or translucent:material, preferably a suitable plastic: which lends itself "to printingor litho-- graphing and on predetermined sections or areas of thestubeI5 are: suitably formed display: char= acters, as indicatedliby'theshaded sections: IGEPin' Fig: .lxlof the-drawing. The character I tY may be substantial-ly opaquesor.have a: nominal amount or.translucency soas: to: cast a shadow uponrthe surface: [4,; as seen bythe stipled'section IS in' Fig. 1; Casting of thisl' shadow produces:the: depth-."o-nithree dimensional. effect withirespectito therepresentationifi. It willbe apparentthat amonumberof 'characters'iorrepresentationssmay. be printed on the" tube orzsleeve 'i 5'i'on'frontcand: back: surfaces thereof; or at the top curved sides.-

Turning now to'the*i1lnstrations:in Figs; 4 and 5; of the drawing,it'will appear. that at I5, in

i Fig: 5-,.I have shown a-rfiat sheet from which: the

tube-.01: sleevewi5 rislformed, the tube or sheet is printedl'i-thographedwor otherwise characterized. while in its fiat state,after which-the sheet isformedadnto a round tube", as shown at 15 in:Fig. 4 of the drawing, the edges being overlapped and-secured. together,as'indicated at H. The round tube--of-Fig. 4:"iS' then flexed. into theellip-- tical. form, clearly-illustrated in Fig, 3, in mounting..the=same-uponthe side edges I8'--l8 of the: Walls 44-44 thevelliptical-tube: or sleeve being, containedsubstantially in theboundaries of the supporting. base plates [3-435 and resting thereon.

The-ellipticaliormation.of the tube or sleeve in. the manner shown,clearlyin Fig. 3, produces front and. reancurvedsurfaces Ill-19 ofrelatively large radi'us with. curved. side surfaces 211 403of"'relatively, smalllradius. This construction produces what might betermed. a slight outwardly bowed wallportion at front and rear surfacesof. the tube or sleeve, thus giving a, roundedcontour' to. thecharacterized sections or. markings, as at mm these surfaces in additionto the casting of the shadow "which produces the desirablethreedimensional efiect;

It will be understood that articles may be arrangedwithin the tube orsleeve I5 and upon the supporting frame'lll, either by arrangement upontheb'ase members l3-l3" or by mountingin an'aperturedportion, asseen at2l-2I in the walls M- I 4". On'the'otherhand', the 'apertured portion orcutout, as-at 2I-2l' may be utilized togive' vision" tothe rear wallportion IQ" of the tu'b'eor' sleeve l5fromthe "front of. the. display.In this event, suitable characterizations will be arranged" upon'thewall-portion Hi to be visible through the openingor'cutout 2I2l'. Forexample, thed-isplay; may have on the wall M a scenicrepresentationwhich may include a house 1 and the opening'or cutout 2l-2l" mayrepresent i ta door or window of the house and looking therethroughwould be a representation on the wall I9l9' of something within thehouse, or in other instances, something out of doors and viewed fromwithin a room of a house.

It will be apparent that the.accmpanying drawing is illustrative of onesimple form of construction for carrying my invention into effect. Oneof the distinctive features of the invention resides in mounting atransparent or translucent printed or lithographed sheet in a curvedrelationship with respect to a supporting frame sheet in producingbetween said sheets a three dimensional effect.

It will be apparent that the frame of the device supports the threedimensional element, for example, the tube or sleeve in a tensionedposition, with surfaces thereof preferably curved or rounded, whichextends the vision through a greater area. In other words,characterizations on the tube or sleeve are visible from sides as wellas the front of the device.

It will be apparent that my improved display device, that is to say, thebacking or supporting member taken in conjunction with the transparentor translucent mounting for attachment on the supporting member produceswhat may be termed an environment. In other words, the characterizedsubject on the transparent or translucent sheet is placed within theenvironment of characterizations printed, lithographed or otherwiseapplied to the surface of the supporting member. In other words, thesupporting member may have applied thereto a picture of a home with agarden in the foreground and the transparent or translucent sheet couldhave one, two or more individuals arranged thereon, appearing to standin the garden in front of the house represented on the supporting sheet.

I claim:

1. A device for producing three dimensional effects in displays, saiddevice comprising an elongated fiat backing sheet and an elongatedflexible tubular member having translucent properties, said member beingof a length substantially equal to the length of said backing sheet andof a diameter less than the width of said sheet, said member beingflexed to elliptical shape in mounting the member on said sheet inengagement with side edge portions only thereof, the member forming onopposed surfaces of the sheet outwardly convexed wall portions spacedwith respect to said surfaces, and at least one wall portion of saidmember having a substantially opaque characterized portion thereonadapted to cast a shadow upon the adjacent surface of the sheet inproducing a third dimensional effect of the characterized display.

2. A device for producing three dimensional effects in displays, saiddevice comprising an elongated flat backing sheet and an elongatedflexible tubular member having translucent properties, said member beingof a length substantially equal to the length of said backing sheet andof a diameter less than the width of said sheet, said member beingflexed to elliptical shape in mounting the member on said sheet inengagement with side edge portions only thereof, the member forming onopposed surfaces of the sheet outwardly convexed wall portions spacedwith respect to said surfaces, at least one Wall portion of said memberhaving a substantially opaque characterized portion thereon adapted tocast a shadow upon the adjacent surface of the 4 sheet in producing athird dimensional effect of the characterized display, said surface ofthe sheet being characterized, and said sheet being apertured to givevision to part of the other wall portion of said member through saidsheet.

3. A device for producing three dimensional efiects in displays, saiddevice comprising an elongated flat backing sheet and an elongatedflexible tubular member having translucent properties, said member beingof a length substantially equal to the length of said backing sheet andof a diameter less than the width of said sheet, said member beingflexed to elliptical shape in mounting the member on said sheet inengagement with side edge portions only thereof, the member forming onopposed surfaces of the sheet outwardly convexed wall portions spacedwith respect to said surfaces, at least one wall portion of said memberhaving a substantially opaque characterized portion thereon adapted tocast a shadow upon the adjacent surface of the sheet in producing athird dimensional effect of the characterized display, said surface ofthe sheet being characterized, said sheet being apertured to give visionto part of the other wall portion of said member through said sheet, andsaid sheet comprising a double wall having laterally extending baseportions upon which the lower end of said member is adapted to rest.

4. In display devices, the combination with a characterized elongatedtubular member of substantially transparent flexible material, of asupporting frame upon which said member is arranged, said framecomprising an elongated sheet of rigid material of a lengthsubstantially equal to the length of said member and of a width greaterthan the diameter of said tubular member, said tubular member inarrangement upon said frame being flexed into substantially ellipticalcross-sectional form, forming outwardly convexed walls on and spacedfrom opposed surfaces of said sheet, and said member tensionallyengaging the edges of the sheet when arranged thereon.

5. In display devices, the combination with a characterized elongatedtubular member of substantially transparent flexible material, of asupporting frame upon which said member is arranged, said framecomprising an elongated sheet of rigid material of a lengthsubstantially equal to the length of said member and of a width greaterthan the diameter of said tubular member, said tubular member inarrangement upon said frame being flexed into substantially ellipticalcross-sectional form, forming outwardly convexed walls on and spacedfrom opposed surfaces of said sheet, said member tensionally engagingthe edges of the sheet when arranged thereon, and one of the outwardlyconvexed walls of said member having a substantially opaque sectionthereon adapted to cast a shadow upon the adjacent surface of said sheetin producing a three dimensional effect in the display device.

6. In display devices, the combination with a characterized elongated,tubular member of substantially transparent flexible material, of asupporting frame upon which said member is arranged, said framecomprising an elongated sheet of rigid material of a lengthsubstantially equal to the length of said member and of a width greaterthan the diameter of said tubular member, said tubular member inarrangement upon said frame being flexed into substantially. ellipticalcross-sectional form, forming out-1 wardly convexed walls on and spacedfrom opposed surfaces of said sheet, said member tensionally engagingthe edges of the sheet when arranged thereon, one of the outwardlyconvexed Walls of said member having a substantially opaque sectionthereon adapted to cast a shadow upon the adjacent surface of said sheetin producing a three dimensional effect in the display device, and saidframe havin means for supporting articles in connection therewith.

7. In display devices, the combination with a characterized elongatedtubular member of substantially transparent flexible material, of asupporting frame upon which said member is arranged, said framecomprising an elongated sheet of rigid material of a lengthsubstantially equal to the length of said member and of a Width greaterthan the diameter of said tubular member, said tubular member inarrangement upon said frame being fiexeed into substantially ellipticalcross-sectional form, forming outwardly convexed Walls on and spacedfrom opposed surfaces of said sheet, said member tensionally engagin theedges of the sheet when arranged thereon, the sheet of said frame beingtwo ply, and each ply having a laterally extending based portion uponwhich the lower end of said member is adapted to rest.

HERMAN H. HUTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

